Strength Training for the Professional Warrior

The Potpourri Routine is a forgotten bodybuilding workout that predates the invention of sets. It is the 1930’s version of German Volume Training and was a favorite of John Grimek. In potpourri training, you perform 6-10 exercises for a muscle group, but only one set per exercise.

The Potpourri Routine is purely a hypertrophy program, designed to build up the size of the targeted muscle group. For this reason I like to apply the Potpourri Routine to my calisthenics workouts. If you want to body build on calisthenics only, then the Potpourri Routine is the way to do it

The main exercises in any body weight hypertrophy program are pull-ups, dips and squats. So in the Potpourri Routine you must apply a high number of sets and a variety of movements to these 3 calisthenic movements. The following are sample Potpourri Routines for each of these core exercises:

Pull-pourri:

Muscle-up

Lever Raise Pull-ups

Archer pull-ups

Typewriter pull-ups

Chin rows

L-Sit Pull-ups

Headbanger pull-ups

CTI pull-ups

In and Out Pull-ups

Commando pull-ups

Squat-pourri:

Pistols

Skater squats

Lunges

Bulgarian squats

Step-ups

Body weight squats

Ski squats

Dip-pourri:

Tucked dips

Bulgarian dips

Archer dips

Typewriter dips

Assisted one arm dips

Negative L-sit dips

Incline dips

If you cannot do dips or if dip variations are just too hard, then you can do a “Pushpourri” workout instead: